Benzene

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A volatile, very inflammable liquid, C6H6, contained in thenaphtha produced by the destructive distillation of coal, from whichit is separated by fractional distillation. The name is sometimesapplied also to the impure commercial product or benzole, and also,but rarely, to a similar mixed product of petroleum. Benzene nucleus,Benzene ring (Chem.), a closed chain or ring, consisting of sixcarbon atoms, each with one hydrogen atom attached, regarded as thetype from which the aromatic compounds are derived. This ring formulais provisionally accepted as representing the probable constitutionof the benzene molecule, C6H6, and as the type on which itsderivatives are formed.